Surveillance footage from Walmart is the best lead so far in the Tennessee abduction case

Actions

0

Actions

0

April 03, 2017 09:09 PM EDT

It's been three weeks since 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas disappeared on March 13, but investigators recently released surveillance footage of her and her 50-year-old alleged abductor in an Oklahoma City Walmart.

The footage, which was taken two days after they disappeared, marks the first confirmed citing of the two since officials say Tad Cummins kidnapped the teen. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released the footage Friday.

The Walmart where the two were spotted on March 15 is located nearly 700 miles from Thomas' home in Columbia, Tennessee.

The TBI notes that Cummins, "may have been abusing his role as a teacher to groom [the teen] ... in an effort to lure and potentially sexually exploit her."

Cummins, who was fired within a day of Thomas' disappearance, is now wanted on allegations of aggravated kidnapping and sexual contact with a minor, according to ABC News.

A former FBI Agent told ABC News that he considers this sighting the best lead in the case so far.

In the photos, Thomas' hair was darker and Cummins' gray facial hair was dyed brown, but other than that, "they weren't really going out of their way to conceal who they are," the former FBI agent explained.

The TBI is still working to determine what vehicle the two were traveling in the day they went to Walmart.

A TBI spokeswoman told ABC News the agency has received 1,328 tips in the case and 302 of those remain open.